Suspicious Minds
by siriusrawkssox
Summary: Set in the days of the Marauders, James has a huge crush on a certain Lily Evans, but is reluctant to take action. Can his fellow Maruaders Remus and Sirius nudge him in the right direction?
1. James Fancies Lily!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own any of the wonderful marauders and other characters created by J.K.R, nor do I own the setting - the only thing original is the plot.  
  
The Hogwarts Express emitted a loud, shrieking sound and began to chug along merrily, as many mothers and fathers who stood atop Platform 9 3/4 began to wave frantically. A tall boy with hair dark as ebony stuck his grinning head out of the window, and shouted, "Bye Mum, see you at Christmas!" After his mother nodded and smiled he recoiled, satisfied, and stared around his empty compartment.  
  
Sirius Black slumped onto his cosy, worn seat and sighed. He was alone - as per usual - but for once he wanted someone there beside him. True, he had his magnificent tawny owl, Orion, but as he had his large head tucked beneath one of his wings and was letting out soft snores every few seconds, he supposed he wouldn't be good company. Tucking his wavy dark hair behind one of his ears Sirius listened to the jeers and laughter carried from the further carriages, wishing that he would find James soon.... there was a loud crack and a bang and he stood up, as Orion gave a startled screech. Drawing his new wand from the inside pocket of his robes, (ten inches, unicorn tail, pliable and good for transfiguration,) he cautiously began to pull back the door seperating his lonely carriage from the hallway.....  
  
CRACK! Sirius leapt back and looked at the scene unfolding before him. A bespectacled boy with ruffled jet black hair and a supreme air of intelligence about him was standing with his wand pointing to a hook-nosed, greasy haired boy's chest, his dark eyes livid and his expression twisted. A small boy with blond-ish hair was cowering on the carpeted floor, staring at the boy with a nose like a vulture with an expression of horror on his face. His trunk lay open, his clothes scattered, and judging by the blotches on his face it seemed the boy had hexed him. Grinning, Sirius leapt to the side of the boy with glasses, his own wand pointed towards the bully.  
  
"Afternoon James." Said Sirius, with a smile towards his best friend - boy, was he glad to have found James!  
  
"Nice to see you." Came the reply, though his voice was harsh and his eyes never left the hook-nosed boy. "Get out. Leave this boy alone."  
  
The boy named Severus gave a sneer. "Why should I?"  
  
Sirius stepped in. "Whats he done to you?" He hated to see anyone getting picked on, least of all someone so small and weedy looking who looked like the wave of a wand would have him in the Hospital Wing by nightfall.  
  
Severus frowned. "The little prick tripped me up."  
  
The weedy boy murmed, "By accident!" but a glare from Severus silenced him quickly.  
  
Quick-thinking Sirius snapped, "Piss off and wash your hair." A nickname popped into his head, and sneering, he added "Snivellus,"and the boy swept around and left, tutting loudly, clearly realising he couldn't take the two of them together. "You alright?" he said, bending down to the small boy.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so...." he got to his feet with some help from James, and dusted down his robes. "Thanks. My name's Peter." He held out a frail looking hand, and Sirius warmly took it.  
  
"I'm Sirius, and this is James." James nodded, acknowledging Sirius' introduction, and smiled towards Peter. "Wanna come sit in here?"  
  
With a shaky nod Peter attempted to lift his trunk and, failing, accepted some help from Sirius. James too lifted his trunk and followed Sirius into the carriage, which, by now, was occupied.  
  
A tawny-haired boy with startling amber eyes was sitting by a window, and looked up when the three boys trooped in. He had been immersed in a thick book but snapped it shut, and offered the trio a weak smile. Sirius thought to himself, I Must have come in from the other end..../i He dumped Peter's trunk and held out his hand, grinning, and James and Peter followed suite.  
  
"Nice to meet you....the names Sirius Black." In turn each boy introduced themselves, and discovered the stranger was called Remus Lupin. As they all sat down and began to chat about their excitement and nervousness of starting school, they were all blissfully unaware that they would become the famed Maruaders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Shut it Prongs!"  
  
Sirius threw a large book aimed at a chuckling James' head and sighed as he ducked. Nearly had him....  
  
James grinned, realising he had hit a nerve. "Well, its true! We all know what you got up to with that Slytherin behind the broom shed, so admit it!"  
  
At this blatant statement Remus chuckled from his bed, provoking Sirius even more and causing another heavy item to come flying in his direction - quiet Peter stayed sitting on his bed, large eyes staring around nervously. He tended to keep out of arguments.  
  
Sirius launched himself towards James and landed on top of him - the two boys began to wrestle as they rolled about the dormitory floor. All of the boys were 15 now, and in their fourth year at Hogwarts. Sirius had grown taller, his silken hair reaching to his shoulders, and almost every girl in the year swooned at the sound of his name. James' scruffy dark hair was the same as always, but he too had his fair share of admires; Remus' face held a wizened look, his tawny hair slightly shorter than Sirius', his amber eyes more yellow-ish for the full moon neared. And Peter - he was slightly chubbier and looked healthier, with a withdrawn appearance and scrawny features. The four were fabled inside the castle walls.  
  
James collapsed, grinning as Sirius claimed victory in their 'battle'. Sirius and James were best friends, and had been since the age of 8; nothing could come between them, and their petty squabbles were frequent yet meaningless. Sirius held out his hand and pulled James to his feet, and they all sat down on their beds, chuckling. Peter looked at his watch.  
  
"Oh shit!" He exclaimed, and, without an explanation, he sprinted from the dormitory and headed off down the stairs. James frowned.  
  
"What is with him lately?" The three remaining boys exchanged confused looks before Remus shrugged - that seemed to declare the matter over. Grinning wickedly Sirius turned to James.  
  
"So, Prongs - you still after Evans?"  
  
At the mention of the fellow Gryffindor's name James' cheeks turned a bright shade of pink; Sirius laughed. "So you do still have a thing for her!"  
  
James frowned. "Well, yeah...but its just...." Remus nodded, encouraging him to spill his feelings. "I'm not sure if she likes me, and I'm too worried to ask her out...y'know, just in case."  
  
Sirius and Remus caught each other's eyes for a brief second; they knew that it wasn't true. Lily had confided in them that she liked James, but had forbidden them from giving away her secret. James hadn't detected the exchange of secret glances, and sighed. Sirius jumped up and patted his back reassuringly.  
  
"Trust me, mate, you've just go to go for it - isn't that right, Moony?" Lupin nodded, but James just eyed them suspiciously.  
  
"Look, I dunno..." he said, in an unsure tone. "I need to think....I'm away for a walk."  
  
As James left the dorm room Sirius dashed across the room, and closed the door. Lupin walked over to him.  
  
"I've got an idea...."  
  
Notes: This is my first ff, so please read and review! Constructive criticism, lol....I'll add more if I get a good response. 


	2. The Christmas Ball Approaches!

Disclaimer: Already mentioned in Chapter 1 :)  
  
The next day James could be found in the Gryffindor Common Room, his prized Nimbus 1500 on his lap as he pulled out his Broomstick Servicing Kit. As he pulled out what slightly resembled a pair of muggle scissors and began to clip away some stray, damaged twigs, the back of the Fat Lady's portrait swung open and one Remus clambered in, carrying, (as was the norm,) a large, musty looking book. James looked up for a mere second and flashed him a smile, before returning to his precise work. Remus curled up on a cosy armchair beside the blazing fire, and sighed as he gazed out of the window. Thick snowflakes were beginning to fall, for it was rapidly nearing Christmas; even now darkness was falling outside. He blew some dust away from the cover of the bejewelled book and opened it - however, he couldn't concentrate, and after a moment snapped it shut so loudly that James looked up quickly and managed to snap an extra twig.  
  
"Damnit!" He looked positively crestfallen, even though the missing piece of wood was probably only noticable to him. Reproachfully his brown eyes looked at Lupin, who hastily decided to cut to the point.  
  
"Y'know, there are some signs up in the Great Hall...." James watched with growing interest.... "A week today theres gonna be a ball."  
  
Lupin's words had the desired effect, for James replaced the clippers hastily and shut the Servicing Kit, before lowering his broomstick to the floor in a maternal manner, and turning to face Remus with rapt attention, urging him to tell more. Remus, however, made as though to re-open his book, and James spoke with haste.  
  
"Really? Cool." He said, nodding his approval. Nonchalantly, he enquired, "Anyone your planning to ask?"  
  
Lupin paused thoughtfully, eyes glazing over. "Hmm....dunno yet. I think I'll just see how it goes. You?"  
  
James frowned. He knew who he wanted to ask, but he didn't know if he could muster up the courage to do so. He didn't really intend on sharing his feelings, so instead he muttered, "Same here."  
  
Lupin went on to tell James all about the planned ball - it would be taking place on Christmas Eve, lasting from 7 onwards, and it was rumoured Dumbledore would have live reindeer in the hall and that the Skeleton Sisters would be playing. Also, they didn't have to wear dress robes; for this special occasion, muggle wear was allowed, and fourth to seventh year were permitted to go. The pair sat in silence, James picking up his broomstick once more and polishing the smooth handle, Remus immersing himself in his book. A few moments later, the portrait's hinges creaked once more.  
  
"Hey Prongs, Moony!" Came a cheerful voice, and Sirius strode in. Lupin looked up from his book and winked - the signal for Sirius to press on. "Heard about the dance?"  
  
James discarded his Nimbus again. "Remus was telling me about it. Any ideas who your asking, Si?"  
  
Lupin chortled. "Forget him asking, hes already had about 20 invitations!" Even then as two pretty fifth years came down from their dorms and head for the exit they giggled and blushed as they passed Sirius.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "So?" Apparently this wasn't too important to him; James frowned. Normally Sirius wouldn't be half as humble. "I still don't know who to go with...."  
  
He slumped onto an armchair, exhausted, and watched his two best friends. Lost in his own thoughts, he snapped out of his daze when James heaved himself to his feet.  
  
"I'm gonna go down to the Quidditch Pitch; don't wait up, I dunno how long I'll be down there." With that he departed and left Remus and Sirius alone.  
  
When he was gone Remus shot Sirius an anxious look. "You know he only goes there when he needs to think....do you think he suspects?"  
  
Sirius shook his head regally, his flowing locks tumbling around his shoulders. "Not at all....hes just worried about who to ask."  
  
And the two silenced at that, Remus finally being able to read his book uninterrupted, and Sirius entertaining himself with some amusing tricks involving the fireplace with his wand.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile up in the Girl's Dormitories Lily Evans was silently rocking back and forth on her four poster bed, already in her pyjamas after having a long, hot bath. She was nervous, and it was startingly obvious, especially to her best friend Fiore; Fiore brushed her long raven locks and then turned around to face Lily, glad of the emptiness of the dormitory.  
  
"Whats up?" she said, genuine concern in her voice. Lily had been acting in a strange manner all day, however it only seemed to Fiore that this had happened after she had read the sign announcing the Christmas Eve Ball.  
  
Lily gave a short sigh and look up, meeting Fiore's dark brown eyes as the chocolate hues clashed with her own startling green ones. "Nothing....I just dunno who to go to the dance with."  
  
Fiore instantly translated it, for she knew her companion too well to believe that. "You wanna go with James, don't you?"  
  
Lily smiled slightly. "Yeah, but I'm not sure if he'll ask, or even if he would say yes - I mean, I don't want to wait around for him forever. Remus said he liked me but now I'm not so sure its true....wouldn't he have done something by now?"  
  
Fiore ponded the matter carefully. "S'pose so....don't worry about it. Anyways, I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers, and, lets face it, you can do better."  
  
Feeling slightly more cheerful Lily gave her friend a large smile. "Thanks. Maybe we could double-date then?" Without even waiting for an answer Lily gave a long yawn. "Time for an early night, I think."  
  
And with that she snuggled down underneath her covers and closed her eyes, not entirely convinced that she would rather go with someone else over James.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The following Sunday Sirius awoke with a grin on his face. Full of energy he leapt to his feet and looked around at his sleeping friends - he had stayed up until about midnight but James hadn't returned, and was now sleeping like a log. Peter too hadn't been around when he turned in - weird. Something was definitely wrong with that boy lately - Sirius, however, had more pressing matters at hand. He still didn't know who to ask to the dance; he knew who Remus wanted him to ask, and he had to admit it was a very good idea, but he didn't know if he wanted to hurt James. Still, it needed to be done. He checked the clock by his bedside - 6:30! He groaned. It would be a while before he would be able to raise anyone to chat with. Dressed in no more than a pair of tight boxers Sirius combed his hair and trotted down to the dormitory, thinking vaguely of having a rifle through that chunky book Remus had borrowed, entitled 'A Guide to Werewolves and Their Habits.'  
  
However, Sirius got a shock on his way down. Someone was already sitting in a chair by the fire, staring into the hearth and gently stoking the large chunks of coal. He would recognise that flaming red hair anywhere; smiling he softly said, "Morning, Evans. Bit early for you, is it not?"  
  
Lily spun around, startled, emerald eyes glinting as her eyes fell upon Sirius. He couldn't help but grin as he noticed her staring a little longer than was necessary at his toned stomach and muscular legs; however, she kept her calm and inclined her head gently to the chair opposite her, before stoking the fire a bit more and replying in her distinctive husky toned. "Hey Padfoot." Lily was a good friend of the Marauders, and familiar with their nicknames - however, she didn't have one of her own, so they merely called her Evans. "Restless night, otherwise I wouldn't be up."  
  
Sirius sunk into the chair gladly, yawning slightly and rubbing his bleary eyes. He ran a hand through his long tresses and ruffled them up slightly, knowing fine well many girls favoured the messy look. Mind you, he thought, Lily probably wasn't looking at his hair; not many girls got the chance to see Sirius Black in his boxers.... "Whats up?"  
  
Lily frowned. She knew Sirius well, but she wasn't sure if she was comfortable telling him that she couldn't sleep for fretting over his best friend and how much she fancied him. She decided to do it in a sort of code, but her eyes failed to meet his. "Just this dance, y'know. I dunno if anyone will ask me."  
  
Sirius paused. How thick could a person get? Lily was gorgeous, everyone knew that - her hair was longer than Sirius' and always gleamed, she had captivating green eyes and delicate, feminine features; however, her personality was more rough-and-tumble than her looks would incline, and many guys in their year and even the years above had a thing for Lily.  
  
"Who are you kidding, Evans? All the guys fancy you; you'll get a date in no time, don't worry about it."  
  
Lily smiled; though Fiore had basically told her the same thing, it was a lot more reassuring to hear it from a male - that practically confirmed things. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that Sirius, as one of her closest guy friends, was only trying to be nice. "Really?"  
  
Sirius swallowed. It was now or never. "Really. In fact..." he gulped... "I was wondering if you would maybe like to go with me."  
  
Lily grinned with disbelief. "Are you sure?"  
  
Sirius returned the smile. "Look, Lily, I know you've got the hots for James." Lily's jaw dropped. "Don't look so surprised, you told me, remember?" She frowned and then nodded gently, remembering. "Now, I know you don't fancy me, and I also happen to know," his voice dropped to an undertone and he leaned forward to make sure no-one could hear him, "James has a huge crush on you."  
  
Lily's bright eyes gleamed and widened, her heart soaring. "Really?!?!" she said, breathlessly happy. "But why...?"  
  
Sirius could practically read her mind. "Hes not sure if you like him, but thats not the point. Anyways, Moony and I were thinking that the only way to get him to tell you how he feels is to majorly piss him off and get the green-eyed monster into gear."  
  
Lily nodded, but her brows furrowed. "You mean if we go out then we can get James all worked up and jealous?"  
  
Sirius returned a nod. "Precisely. So just act like you really like me, have a great time together, hold hands whenever hes near and generally make everyone think we're really a couple."  
  
"Wait a sec..." said Lily. "Will there be kissing involved?"  
  
For the first time ever Lily seen Sirius blush. "If you feel it will help...."  
  
Lily nodded, for she wouldn't mind at all. If she had to go out with Sirius, after all, it made sense to have every girl in the year envy her. That would make it all the more fun.  
  
Grinning wickedly, Lily held out a hand and Sirius shook it. This was gonna be soooo much fun....  
  
Notes: I'm sorry, I couldn't wait to get reviews, I'm enjoying writing this story :) Thanks for the review Marissa03!!! More soon. 


	3. Breaking the News

Disclaimer: Already mentioned in Chapter 1 :)  
  
Sirius was already dressed and down at the Great Hall for breakfast when his fellow Marauders joined him. As was the norm, James took his seat beside Sirius' side and Remus sat across from them, with an empty space where Peter would normally be. As Sirius and Remus heaped their plates with bacon and eggs, James began to let out small snores, his head in a bowl of cornflakes - luckily for him they had no milk. As the Gryffindor girls approached Remus kicked him under the table and James snapped to attention, muttering "It wasn't me Sir, honest!"  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "Guilty conscience, Prongs?"  
  
James merely looked at him through blood shot eyes, and shook cereal from his unruly dark hair.  
  
Sirius turned to face him and jumped, amazed at the large purple bags underneath his eyes. "What the hell happened to you? When did you get in last night?"  
  
James grumbled, "You sound like my mother," but he said it in an almost good natured way. "About 11...."  
  
"Right." said Sirius, raising an eyebrow cooly. "So how come when I went to bed at midnight you still weren't back?"  
  
James' pale cheeks flushed pink and Lupin looked up from his bacon, watching interestedly. "Ok, Ok....I came in at about 2."  
  
Sirius frowned. "What were you doing?"  
  
"Just flying....lost track of the time..."  
  
Remus and Sirius exchanged glances but James was too misty-eyed to notice; his eyes were following the progress of Lily as she made her way to the Gryffindor table, laughing heartily at a joke Fiore had just told.  
  
After breakfast the trio made their way up to Gryffindor Tower and James and Sirius became engaged in a game of wizard's chess, whilst Lupin continued with his book. They were all sitting comfortably for some time before a gaggle of fifth-year girls stumbled into the common room - a very pretty girl with thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes named Jennifer stopped and allowed her other friends to go up to their dormitories.  
  
"Sirius?" Sirius looked up and paused, wondering why this girl would want to take to him. Sure, they had talked briefly before, but never anything more than over Quidditch Results - Jennifer was a fellow member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "I was wondering....are you going to the dance with anyone?"  
  
Sirius felt a sinking feeling, for he would have very much liked to attend with Jen; he kind of wanted to get to know her. Trying to let her down gently he gave a brief nod, and he caught James staring at him out of the corner of his glasses.... "Yeah...sorry."  
  
Jennifer picked herself up quickly. "Don't worry about it, its cool. See ya later!" With an over-exaggerated smile she followed her friends up to the girls dormitories, appearing slightly let-down.  
  
Sirius returned to the chess board and was concentrating very hard when James cleared his throat and rapped the board. "So the most wanted boy in our year has a date? Do tell...."  
  
He felt a large lump as big as a bludger forming in the back of his throat, and caught Remus' eye as he looked up from his book. "Well....Evans and me are going together."  
  
James laughed heartily. "No seriously, Padfoot, who are you going with?"  
  
"I already told you - Lily."  
  
As it dawned on him that Sirius was telling the truth his face turned to thunder and bewilderment. Sirius and Lily? How could Sirius do that to him? Sirius, his best friend since he was eight; Sirius, the one who he shared his hopes and dreams with; Sirius, who he played Quidditch with and trusted with everything?  
  
James felt a powerful rage welling up inside him. He threw the chess set to the side, (causing many angry shouts from the knights and rooks scattered on the floor,) and drew his wand. "How could you?"  
  
Sirius cooly faced him and drew his own wand, more for self-defence than anything. "Well, my dear Prongs, although you like her you didn't seem about to ask her out, did you? Any girl is fair game until shes going out with someone, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask her out."  
  
James stood before him, turning redder by the second; he couldn't think up a reply to that, and it seemed Sirius had him there. Placing his wand inside his robes he glared at Sirius and stomped off to his common room, and many loud bangs and thuds could be heard. Nibbling his lip, Sirius looked towards Remus apprehensively.  
  
"Ah Moony, old friend, are you sure this was the right thing to do?"  
  
Remus gave a sigh. "Don't worry Siri. Its working, at any rate."  
  
James stayed out of Sirius' way all day; apparently he was too irritated to even face him. When Sirius went to bed he could tell James was lying awake due to the absence of his snuffling, and James lay staring at the ceiling for a long time before he went to sleep.  
  
Notes: I kinda feel sorry for James now *sniffle* Please review me some more, I wanna know what everyone thinks! 


	4. Lead up to the Ball

Disclaimer: Already mentioned in Chapter 1 :)  
  
James barely talked to any of the Marauders over the next few days, least of all Sirius. Sirius was upset with what he had done, but for Remus' and his' plan to work it had to be this way - sometimes he wondered, however, why it couldn't have been Lupin to go out with Lily, for he and James never had more than minor disagreements and it was unbearable not to be talking to him. Desperate to keep himself cheerful, Sirius reacted by playing a lot more pranks than usual; even covering Snape from head to toe in unicorn droppings wasn't the same without the aid of James and Remus - still, it had certainly perked him up a bit, especially when McGonnagal had forbidden him from entering the castle smelling so foul and made him bathe in the lake first.  
  
On Tuesday for the last Quidditch practice before the end of term, (lessons finished on Thursday in time for the ball on Saturday,) Sirius came down from the dorm room with his broomstick over his shoulders, expecting James to be there waiting for him. The two always went to practices together. He had been disenhearted when Lupin told him that James had left five minutes ago - even during practice he noticed how hard James was trying not to stare at him; even during their warm-up when every player went into a circle and passed about the Quaffle James stubbornly refused to even throw it in Sirius' direction, however he looked like he would very much like to chuck it at his head.  
  
Sirius couldn't help but notice how much James' attitude had changed over the past few days. His impeccable flying skills had went swiftly downhill and he was having a lot of trouble concentrating during his classes; the Quidditch Captain had reprimanded him, but James had simply shrugged his shoulders and put it down to pre-holiday spirits. None of his teachers mentioned anything, but Sirius saw the way they stared at James puzzled as he refused to put up his hand to answer any questions and spend period after period with a bored look on his face. He felt a lot of pity for James, but he knew any attempts at breaking the ice would lead in him being fobbed off rudely or jinxed.  
  
Sirius voiced his concerns to Lily when the two were sitting together at breakfast. "Hes so mad at me; when I told him I was going to the dance with you he went mental. I was kinda scared he was going to hex me or something."  
  
Lily patted his back reassuringly, yet she couldn't help being inwardly pleased at such a violent reaction - James must really like me, she thought. "Don't worry about it. He'll come around when you break the news to him."  
  
Sirius was becoming increasingly worried about that idea - how the hell was he going to tell James the truth? He couldn't break off his date with Lily, because then he would have no-one to go with himself, and he had already found out that James was taking Jennifer, (who, incidentally, had asked Sirius out.) Remus would have to help him out....  
  
After classes were done Sirius sprinted upstairs and put on his Gryffindor scarf and gloves - he blatantly refused to cover his long hair with a hat when Lupin told him his ears would get cold, and tried to ignore the growlers being shot at him by James as he dashed downstairs to meet Lily. When he met her he made sure everyone saw him peck her on the cheek, before taking her hand and leading her outside into the snow.  
  
Lily and Sirius walked and talked for a while, mainly about James' feelings for Lily - Sirius told her how long he had liked her, (practically forever!) and why he was too scared to do anything about it. Lily basically told Sirius she felt the same about James, and he could tell that she wished that she was with James at the moment. Trying to steer her onto happier thoughts the two walked along hand in hand - the phsyical contact was not uncomfortable, but it certainly felt weird holding hands with one of his best friends!  
  
THUD! Sirius span around and drew out his wand as Lily shrieked. She had been hit from behind by a large snowball, and instantly Sirius saw the attacker - Lupin was standing at the top of the stairs leading out of the main doors, a large snowball in one of his hands and a wicked grin on his face. "Sorry, Evans!" shouted Remus. "Bad aim!"  
  
"I'll get you for that, Lupin!" screamed Lily, and, drawing out her wand, she muttered a complex charm under her breath that Sirius couldn't hear. The snow surrounding her began to mould itself into large balls and they all fired at Remus, who began to run; they chased after him, whacking him in the face and head, until he collapsed in fits of laughter.  
  
Sirius and Lily ran over to him and Lily pulled out her wand once more; there was a flash and suddenly Lupin was upright and covered with snow, looking like a particularly well-sculpted snowman. Smiling, she turned to Sirius and winked - he had to hand it to her, she got revenge quite well. She stood, beaming at Lupin, who apparently couldn't get out. "Ok, Ok, you win! C'mon, lemme out!"  
  
The large oak doors creaked open once more and all eyes snapped round - James Potter stood at the top of the flight of stairs. Lily instantly scooped up a snowball and hurled it at him, hitting him square in the jaw. "Hey, Potter, come join the fun!"  
  
Sirius was surprised to see him walk over to join the trio, and he smiled weakly at his best friend. Amazingly, James returned the gesture, and after standing laughing at Remus for a few moments he beckoned to Sirius.  
  
The two walked over the the gamekeeper's hut and James cleared his throat, apparently at a loss for what to say. "Well, I just wanted to tell you....emm...."  
  
"Sorry." blurted Sirius, cutting his words short. "I know I shouldn't have asked out Evans but I couldn't help it.....I didn't think you were gonna do it."  
  
James shook his head. "I don't think I would have...anyways I wanna tell you I've thought about it and I'm being stupid, not talking to you. I was wondering if you and Lily would come to the dance with me and Jennifer?"  
  
Grinning stupidly Sirius nodded, and together they walked back to Lily and Remus - soon would be time for the final part of his plan.... 


	5. Prongs, your hair is a mess!

Disclaimer: Already mentioned in Chapter 1 :)  
  
Thankfully Remus, Sirius and James all had dates for the dance; Lily had managed to persuade Lupin to ask out Fiore, who was also rather smart and sensible, like he was, and the trio were going to spend the evening of the dance together. As much couldn't be said for Peter, as no-one had been seeing much of him as of late. Strangely, he always returned to the dorm room after they were asleep and rose before anyone else awoke. However, there was no time to ponder over his suspicious behaviour; there were too many preparations to be made for the ball, and it was only two days away.  
  
Sirius, James and Remus had all sent owls home; Sirius had asked his mother to send him a formal muggle tuxedo that he had worn to a family party once, whilst Remus and James both asked their parents to buy them someting special for the occasion. There was a flurry of owls in and out of the schools carrying squishy, large parcels, and the corridors suddenly seemed full of giggling girls comparing outfits. Orion brought Sirius his tux the day after he sent a note to his mum requesting it, and Remus and James received almost identical looking tuxedos. Sirius' consisited of tight black trousers, smart black shoes and a white shirt with a black bow tie; he looked like a perfect gentleman in it. James' and Remus' were more or less the same but not as well fitted, so Sirius was basically the only one whose figure was shown off.  
  
When Sirius and Lily were talking as they walked around the lake one day he had politely asked her what her dress was like - she had refused, point blank, to even tell him what colour it was. From what he could make out from his friends every girl was being so secretive about their outfits. Though it irked Sirius he after a while he wasn't entirely bothered, for he knew Evans would look good in whatever she wore - for him the main concern was about how events would work out on the night, and not so much how his date or indeed himself looked.  
  
The gamekeeper Ortis Gatre and his assistant Reubus Hagrid had taken on the job of decorating the castle for the run up to Christmas, and they had made a fine job of it. Inside the Great Hall it was like a large grotto, filled with large decorated pine trees covered in shimmering tinsel and flashing baubles, and, (as was rumoured,) there were tame reindeer walking about and waiting to be petted. Almost every girl in the hall had collapsed on them in fits of 'Ooos!' and 'Awwws!' as soon as they walked in the hall, leaving many of the boys disgruntled and jealous. Some of the many Hogwarts house- elves were spending their time walking about wearing green outfits with Christmas hats santa beards, delivering Christmas messages and cards; some of the doors had been enchanted to sing songs when opened and the staircases were entwined with rows of jingle bells. Everyone inside the castle was cheerful and filled with Christmas glee, and by the end of Thursday there was not one person in the castle with a frown on their face.  
  
Almost everyone in the upper three years had stayed for the dance; some people from wizarding families were excited to see the Skeleton Sisters live, but many were just eager for a night with their dates. On Friday most people were to be found in the company of their partners. In the Gryffindor common room Sirius and Lily were sitting together playing a game of Exploding Snap; Remus and Fiore were having a long intellectual conversation whilst nibbling on Chocolate Frogs, and James and Jennifer were having a heated discussion about whether the Chudley Cannons or Puddlemere United were the better Quidditch Team. The whole school seemed in bliss.  
  
By the time Saturday came, however, the whole mood of the school had transformed completely; the halls were covered in anxious girls who still hadn't received their costumes by owl, or had ran out of hair-spray or their favourite nail polish. The boys in the castle were much more relaxed; at lunchtime the great hall had only five girls in it, for the rest were busy getting ready. At about 5 o clock Sirius, James and Remus retreated to their dormitory to get ready.  
  
The boys all had showers and then proceeded to put on their tuxedos. Sirius made a great fuss about this, undoing his top two buttons to show a little of his chest and leaving his bow tie hanging saucily. James spent a great deal of time trying to get his bow tie perfect, but Remus adjusted his tux in about two seconds and then sat on his bed, watching his best mates. Sirius stood before his mirror for a while, ruffling his long trendles and making sure they looked just right, whilst James anxiously tried to smooth out his hair.  
  
"Shit." He said, sighing and placing both hands on his head. "It just won't lie flat!"  
  
Remus pulled a tub out from his chest of drawers and threw it towards James; it hit him square in the face. "Here, try this out."  
  
"Thanks a lot." Said James, grumbling. "Spike-be-gone?" He frowned, rubbing it between his fingers and smoothing it into his hair. After two second, however, his hair snapped to attention, and he groaned, tossing the tub back to Remus. "Thanks anyways, Moony."  
  
James pointlessly attempted to flatten his hair for about another five minutes, before staring into the mirror and loosing his temper completely. With a snarl he picked up his wand and pointed it at the offending patch - "Mendomorphis!"  
  
Sirius leapt to his feet as James' hair began to smoulder, throwing his pillow over James' hair. "Prongs, your a total arse!" He said, before whacking him playfully across the face with the pillow.  
  
"Thanks for that." Murmured James, before turning back to the mirror and running a hand through his hair. Realising he wasn't going to get any better results, he turned to the other two and smiled.  
  
"Moony; Padfoot; lets go!"  
  
And with that the three walked out of their dormitories and down into the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Notes: I think one or two more chapters to go *nodnod* Please review! 


	6. The Kiss

Disclaimer: Hopefully you've got the idea by now :)  
  
As Sirius walked down the stairs that led to the dormitories he felt butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. Would his plan suceed or would James be too caught up with Jennifer to bother about Lily? His question was answered with a gasp from James' behalf as they entered the common room; one look at his chocolate hued eyes and he was certain they weren't directed at his date.  
  
Jennifer was dressed in a powder blue mini-dress that matched her eyes perfectly. It had two thin straps and was short and tight, showing off her lithe legs, and her blonde hair was twisted in a spiked bun that resembled a crown. Fiore looked stunning too, in a black dress with straps that was slightly shorter than Jennifer's, her long dark hair lying straight against her head and cascading down her back like a black waterfall. Lily, however, stole the show; her dress was a vivacious red and strapless, and was almost corset-like to her waist, before flaring out in gentle slopes and reaching the floor. Her long auburn hair was in ringlets, framing her delicate face and her startling emerald eyes. None of the boys moved for a movement, as the girls all blushed prettily.  
  
Sirius was the first to regain himself and make a move. With a low bow he walked over to Lily and took one of her slender hands, brushing it lightly with his soft lips. Her cheeks turned rosy pink at this gesture, and when he drew away she reached up and gently kissed his cheek. He leaned his head to her ear and whispered, "You look awesome, Evans. James' tongue is hitting the floor."  
  
She grinned mischievously and raised a hand to smooth out Sirius' long locks. Sirius took one of her hands and squeezed it, knowing that she was using him as an excuse to tempt James. Remus and James had walked over to their dates and pecked them both on the cheeks, complimenting them both on their outfits. They all stood and sneaked glances at one another; clearing his throat, Sirius smiled around.  
  
"Lets go."  
  
Following Lily and his' lead they all clambered through the portrait hole and began to descend the stairs, making small talk between their dates. When they reached the Entrance Hall they politely greeted other people from their year, before making their way into the crowded hall.  
  
All eyes snapped round as the doors slammed shut behind them, and Sirius realised what an object of jealousy he would be. Almost every guy in the hall had their eyes on the stunning Lily - she was greeted with some wolf whistles - and as he looked around he noticed most girls' eyes were locked on him. Instinctively he ruffled up his hair slightly before taking Lily's hand once more and leading her to an empty table, the others in close pursuit. Lily was beaming, showing off her pearly whites; clearly she was used to the attention she was being granted by the drooling males in the hall.  
  
As the night progressed they all began to dance, sometimes stopping to converse with their dates or other couples, or going to the bar to grab some foaming butterbeers. It soon became clear that Sirius and Lily were the hot couple of the evening, for everyone was gossiping about the pair's stunning apperance; Sirius knew it would be getting to James and more than once he caught his best friend sneaking glances at the beautiful Lily, a look of longing in his eyes.  
  
Sirius and Remus stood together with drinks as their dates excused themselves to go to the toilet; they slurped their butterbeers in silence as they looked around the hall, and both of their gazes came to rest on James. He was dancing with Jennifer as the Skeleton Sisters belted out one of their greatest hits, and the grin on his face was peculiar; not that anyone else would notice that his smile was forced, of course. That was merely due to the fact Moony and Padfoot knew him so well.  
  
Sirius turned to face Remus with a disturbed expression on his face. "Moony, look at him. Hes been staring at Lily every chance he gets and hes clearly not enjoying himself with Jen."  
  
Remus sighed. "Ah yes, Padfoot, but you know this is vital. Soon you can put the plan into action, and then his suffering will be over."  
  
Gulping, Sirius turned to watch as a laughing Lily made her way towards the pair, arm hooked through Fiore's, and he turned to Remus grimly. "Wish me luck then....and can we stop talking like Shakespeare characters?"  
  
Remus punched him playfully on the arm before turning to the Skeleton Sisters, who were wrapping up their fast paced smash - they began to play a slow lovers ballad, and many couples took to the floor.  
  
Sirius took Lily's hand. "Shall we?" He said, loud enough for James and Remus to hear. However, moving one of her gentle curls away from her ear, he whispered, "Its time."  
  
With a determined look on her face Lily walked onto the dancefloor, leading him to a spot mere inches away from the crowded area where James stood with Jennifer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her head found a comfortable spot on his shoulder - she nuzzled into him, bright eyes gleaming as she noticed James was watching them with apprehension.  
  
Sirius' strong hands wrapped themselves around her petite waist and he lovingly rested his chin on top of her head, moving slowly with her to the soppy music. He gulped again; never before in his life had he been so nervous about kissing a girl, especially considering the amount of practice he had had....  
  
He bent low and whispered once more into her ear. "Look at him; hes as sick as a dog." She turned slightly to face James and smiled, noting the expression etched upon his face. "Lets go for it now, while hes watching."  
  
A gentle inclination from Lily's head was all it took; then he pressed his soft lips against hers and began to kiss her furiously, shutting his eyes and awaiting James' reaction. The couples around them let out a couple of mocking 'ooooo's, but Sirius ignored them.... Lily shut her eyelashes too, and though Sirius was an excellent kisser she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it fully....she only wished it were James who she was with.  
  
CRACK! Sirius was thrown backwards and onto the floor as Lily's eyes snapped open; James was standing across from him, red in the face and livid, his wand pointed towards Sirius' chest. Winded, Sirius jumped up and pulled out his own wand, ready to hex James should he try anything again. Lily gasped. She hadn't been expecting this, but from the look in Sirius' dark eyes he had. Snarling, James moved closer and Lily stepped in between the two, aware of the large crowd forming around them....  
  
Note: Nearly done! Some more reviews please :) 


	7. Finally Together

Disclaimer: Hopefully you've got the idea by now :)  
  
"How could you, Sirius!" He snapped, walking ever closer with a pained look in his eyes.  
  
Sirius grimly replied, "Quite easily, as you might have noticed."  
  
Groaning, James placed his wand away and tried to regain his temper, moving towards Sirius, who backed away, concerned that James would try to punch him; if it came down to muggle duelling the taller, leaner Sirius would beat him any day....  
  
He ducked out of the way but James walked past him, head held high, and Sirius turned to watch him curiously as he marched over towards the stage where the Skeleton Sisters had stopped playing. Leaping onto the stage he grabbed a microphone and Remus caught Sirius' eye, worried - they hadn't anticipated this in the slightest.  
  
"Wondering why I'm so angry?" He roared, his voice about 10 times louder than it would have been. "Well, my BEST FRIEND knows that I've FANCIED someone for about 3 YEARS and then he SNEAKS off behind my back and KISSES HER AT THE DANCE!"  
  
People in the crowed were exchanging looks - was this really James Potter, the calm, laid-back mischievious boy they knew?  
  
"Well, its time to let the whole world know - I LOVE LILY EVANS! THATS RIGHT - I LOVE HER!"  
  
The hall gasped at this blatant declaration of emotion and in a wave of turning heads they all faced Lily, wondering how she would react. Amazingly, a single tear trickled from one of her glassy eyes and fell down her cheek; she was beaming, smiling radiantly, amazed that the boy she had liked for so long could declare his feelings in such a public manner.  
  
James leapt from the stage and made for the doors to the Entrance Hall swiftly, now slightly embarassed - he had let his emotions get the better of him and now he deeply regretted the way he had put forth his feelings for Lily, especially considering she was there.  
  
"James, wait!" Her soft tones broke the awed silence and everyone watched her sprint forward towards the black haired boy, who had turned around and was watching her approach him nervously. "I love you too."  
  
Though her tones were low the whole hall heard her, and everyone watched with baited breath as an astounding smile broke onto James' face. Lily grabbed the front of his tux with one of her long-nailed hands and pulled him into towards her, kissing him forcefully and cupping his face with her hands -  
  
"WHOOOOOOOO!" Sirius cheered and began to clap wildly along with Remus, breaking the stunned silence that had swept across the hall. Following their lead everyone exploded into cheers as the romantic pair stood kissing, finally together after three years of hiding their feelings from one another....  
  
~*~  
  
That night Sirius left with Jennifer, after informing her that he had hoped to go to the dance with her but his first concern had been to help James along. She had understood completely and had been rather glad to finish the night with the boy she had intended on going with in the first place, and around 2 o'clock the pair retreated to Gryffindor Tower where they sat alone in the empty common room and 'got to know each other better' til dawn.  
  
Remus and Fiore had gotten along swimmingly and by 1 they had made their excuses and had went to walk outside in the grounds; the intellectual pair had talked for most of the night, and had been found curled up on a stone bench by Sirius the next day, Fiore's head in Remus' lap and Remus' hand resting on top of her hair.  
  
As for James and Lily? Not long after their first kiss they had exited the hall and made directly for James' dorm room with the other Marauders; no- one had been brave enough to disturb them until they both joined everyone for breakfast bleary-eyed the next day...  
  
FIN 


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